Home / Getting Started / Quick Start

⚡ Quick Start

Let's get you productive with Code Puppy in just a few minutes!

🔒 Your Privacy is Protected

Zero telemetry, verified by MITM integration tests. Your prompts go directly to your LLM provider—no middlemen, no analytics, no data collection. Read the full privacy policy →

Your First Run

Start Code Puppy in your project directory:

cd your-project
code-puppy

You'll see the welcome message with a happy bouncing puppy! 🐶

🔑 First Time Setup: API Keys

If this is your first time, set up an API key using the /set command:

/set openai_api_key sk-your-key-here
# Or for other providers:
/set anthropic_api_key sk-ant-your-key
/set google_api_key your-key

Keys are saved automatically and persist across sessions!

Basic Usage

Just type what you want to do in natural language:

💬 Examples
  • "Create a Python function that calculates fibonacci numbers"
  • "Review the code in src/main.py for bugs"
  • "Add error handling to the database connection"
  • "Write tests for the user authentication module"

Essential Commands

Here are the commands you'll use most often:

Command Description
/help Show all available commands
/agent <name> Switch to a different agent
/model <name> Change the AI model
/add_model Browse & add from 1000+ models
/tools Show available tools
/cd <path> Change working directory
/exit Exit Code Puppy

🚀 The Model Marketplace

🌟 65+ Providers! 1000+ Models! One Command! 🌟

You're not locked into a single provider. Access the entire AI ecosystem with /add_model

Code Puppy connects to the models.dev live API, giving you instant access to the latest models from every major provider. This is a killer feature – no other CLI tool gives you this kind of flexibility!

☁️ Supported Providers

Browse models from all the big names and emerging players:

OpenAI
GPT-5.1, Codex
Anthropic
Claude 4.5 family
Google
Gemini-3
Mistral
Large, Medium, Codestral
Groq
LPU-accelerated
Together AI
Open models
Fireworks
Fast inference
Cohere
Command R+
Perplexity
Online models
DeepInfra
Cost-effective
xAI
Grok models
+ 55 more!
Cerebras, Z.AI, etc.

🎮 Interactive Model Browser

Just type one command to open the model marketplace:

/add_model

This launches a beautiful Terminal UI where you can:

💾 Persistent Model Library

Models you add are saved to ~/.code_puppy/extra_models.json and persist across sessions. Build your perfect collection of models for different tasks!

🔀 Switching Models

Once you have models configured, switching is instant:

# Switch to a specific model
/model gpt-5.1
/model claude-4-5-sonnet
/model Gemini-3

# Interactive picker - shows all your models!
/model

Running /model without arguments opens an interactive picker with all your configured models, complete with details and quick selection!

Switching Agents

Different tasks need different specialists. Switch agents on the fly:

# For planning complex features
/agent planning-agent

# For code review
/agent code-reviewer

# For security auditing
/agent security-auditor

# For browser automation
/agent qa-kitten

# Back to default
/agent code-puppy

🎨 Interactive Menus

Code Puppy isn't just text commands – it features beautiful Terminal User Interfaces (TUIs) for complex operations. Navigate with arrow keys, search with fuzzy matching, and preview before you commit!

✨ Not Your Grandpa's CLI ✨

Arrow keys • Fuzzy search • Live previews • Syntax highlighting

🤖 Model & Agent Pickers

Command What It Does
/model Interactive model picker – browse all configured models with arrow keys, see details, instant switch
/agent Interactive agent picker – see all 15+ agents with descriptions, pick the right specialist
/add_model Model marketplace – browse 65+ providers, search 1000+ models, preview pricing & context length
/model_settings Configure per-model settings – temperature, max tokens, seed, and more

🔌 MCP Server Wizards

Command What It Does
/mcp install Browse the MCP registry, search servers, one-click install with guided setup
/mcp add Add custom MCP server with step-by-step wizard – command, args, env vars
/mcp edit Edit existing server configuration interactively

💾 Session & Config

Command What It Does
/resume or /autosave_load Browse saved sessions with timestamps, preview conversation, pick and restore
/diff Configure diff highlighting colors – pick colors for additions, deletions, context
💡 Pro Tip

Most interactive menus support fuzzy search – just start typing to filter! Press Esc to cancel, Enter to confirm.

Working with Files

Code Puppy can read, create, and modify files for you:

📁 File Examples
  • "Show me the contents of src/app.py"
  • "Create a new file called utils.py with helper functions"
  • "Add logging to all functions in main.py"
  • "Find all TODO comments in the codebase"

Running Shell Commands

Code Puppy can execute shell commands for you:

⚠️ Safety First

By default, Code Puppy will ask for confirmation before running shell commands. Use /set yolo_mode true to disable confirmations (use with caution!).

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut Action
Ctrl+C Cancel current operation
Ctrl+D Exit Code Puppy
Tab Auto-complete commands
@ Trigger file path completion
Up/Down Navigate command history

Example Session

🐶 Code Puppy at your service!

> Create a Python script that fetches weather data from an API

🐶 Let me help you with that!

[Creates weather.py with proper error handling and type hints]

> Add unit tests for the weather functions

🐶 I'll create comprehensive tests!

[Creates test_weather.py with pytest fixtures]

> /agent code-reviewer

🛡️ Switching to Code Reviewer agent...

> Review the weather.py file

🛡️ Analyzing weather.py for issues...

[Provides detailed code review with suggestions]

> /exit

🐶 Goodbye! Happy coding!

Next Steps